Vacuum cleaner



Nov. 17,v 1936. F. REBEL, JR 2,061,330

' VACUUM CLEANER Filed April 1:5, sie

4 BY i ATTORNEY UNITED STATES PATENT l oF'Fici-z Frederick Riebel,

Air-Way Electric A'p ledo, Ohio, a corporation Application April 1s,

6 Claims.

This invention relates to vacuum cleaners and hasas its object to provide a vacuum cleaner in vwhich the outlet is mounted to slide ing around the axis of fan `casing is stationary and` the fan relative to the fan casthe fan and is rigidly attached to the handle so as to move 'as a unit therewith and with the bag W hich is supported beneath the handle and attached to the outlet.

The invention further con air collecting and directto move along with the of this type wherein the ing means are arranged outlet.

templates a, cleaner Further objects will appear in the perusal of the following detailed description'of the invention in connection with the accompanyin ing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the invention, parts being broken awayto better tion.

Fig. 2 is a vertical long through the fan t'aken c Fig. 3 is a detailed sec line 3--3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a detailed of a modified form 'of the illustrate the construcitudinal sectionalY view the line 2--2 of Fig. 1.

tional view taken on the sectional view through a fan invention, and

Fig. 5 is a detailed sectional view taken on the line 5--5 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a side elevation of a embodying the invention.

suction cleaner The invention provides a suction chamber comprising a body casting I projecting upwardly there to.- The elbows I I inlets in the `side Walls latter is formed from an communicate with the opposed and suction elbows Il of the fan casing. The

in -two sections which are secured together 'by overlapping flanges I3 and together form the peripheral wall I4 and channels of revolution of the fan I are shaft I6 on which is mounted the fan impellers I1. The fan impellers I1 operate in chambers which are formed between the side I8, and a halves (Fig partition wall formed in two walls I2, a central scroll wall I9 which is 4) secured to the partition wall I8 as-by welding. The periphery of the partition wall I8 at least -for a considerable portion of its circumference is concentric with the axis of the shaft sure plate the edge reg I6, and is secured to a cloions of which are slidably engaged against the inner surface of the peripheral Wall I4. The

closure plate 20 serves I4. The periph` away from the point a, to the formedbetween the pe- 4 and the side walls I2 are annu-- Jr., Toledo, 0hio, assignor to pliance Corporation, To-

of Delaware 1936, serial No. '14,049

(C1. iii-s) to seal off the fan casing against the escape of dust and at the same time allows the partition Wall I8 and scroll I9 to rotate around the axis of the shaft I6.

Mounted upon the partition wall I8 are the two halves of a discharge outlet 2l. Secured to an extension 22 of the partition wall I8 is a handie socket 23 in which is mounted the handle 24. The discharge outlet 2| connects with the scroll Wall I9to form a discharge continuation of the fanchamber, and its side walls are flared outwardly as at 25 and snugly slidable against the side walls I2 of the fan casing. The discharge outlet 2I extends through the closure plate 20 y sliding in the channels I5 and against the inner i surface of the peripheral wall I4 and thereby maintaining a closed relation lwith the fan casing.

The scroll I9 directs the air which is acted upon by the impellers I1 into the outlet 2I from whence it is discharged into the bag (not shown) which is suspended below the handle 24. The handle may be moved from a horizontal position ir. which the outlet ZI is limited against movement downwardly below the point b to a, vertical position in which the outlet 2| is-limited against movement i forwardly of the point a.r The cover plate 20 is d secured theree/ extended sufficiently to maintain the fan casing closed at any position of the discharge outlet intermediate the points aand b.

The fan shaft I6 is driven by the motor 30 mounted in a' depression 3I in the body I0. lBelts 32 connect the motor 30 to the shaft i6. The rotary agitator, 33 mounted in the suction chamber, is driven by a belt 34 from the motor 30.

- The motor is mounted on the body I0 by rubber sandwich resilient mounting 35 including angle brackets 36 secured upon the ledge 31 which defines the lateral limits of the depression 3|.

The motor is covered by a cover 38 which is tted against the top of the body I0 and around the fan casing.

The body I0 is supported upon front wheels 39 and rear wheels 40, the latter being mounted in adjustable brackets 4I.

A dust collecting bag 4I is suspended below the, handle 24, and communicates with the outlet 2I by means of a coupling 42.

' In the modied form of the invention shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the fan casing approaches more .nearly a conventional design, a scroll wall I9a.

forming` a part of the periphery of the`fan casing and being integral with the side walls I2a thereof. The portion Ma of the peripheral wall of the fan case -is concentric with the fan shaft I6 and is separated from the fan chamber by a tongue |917 which forms a continuation of the wall Isa. The tongue ISb is however separated from the side walls |2a and its side edges are spaced therefrom just sufficiently to receive the side flanges 2lb of the arcuate extension 2Ic of the discharge outlet 2Ia. The extension 2Ic lies in the pocket formed between the peripheral wall Ma and the tongue I9b and the flanges 2lb extend inwardly into the spaces between the tongue I9b and the side Walls I2a and are sealed in slidable engage-, ment with the side Walls by means of arcuate packing strips p that are mounted in grooves p' in the side walls l2a. 'Ihe extension 2| c is sealed against the peripheral wall I4a by a cross strip of packing material p" mounted in the wall Ha.

The discharge outlet 2|a has an upper exten sion 2Id which is slidably fitted against a peripheral wall portion Mb, concentric with the shaft IB but located on a lesser radius than that of the wall Ma, merging with the scroll wall lila near the upper limit of movement of the member 2id. A packing 11"' in the member 2id seals the fan against the peripheral wall Mb.

It will now be seen that the handle may be moved from a horizontal position wherein the extension 2 Ic is almost completely telescoped in the pocket between the wall Ma and tongue ISb, to an upstanding. vertical position wherein the extension .2Ic is almost but not'quite withdrawn from beneath the tongue 2 I b. During normal operation, of course, there will be only a slight variation in the relation of the discharge outlet 2 lato the cut-off c which defines the outlet from the fan chamber, and that efliciencyof functioning of the fan will not be thereby impaired. The fan may operate when the han le is in the lowered horizontal position, althouh with somewhat less eiiiciency owing to the chan e in the position of the cut-off point relative to the outlet. Likewise, the fan may operate when the handle is in an upstanding position if desired, the discharge outlet in this case-being simply farther `removed from the cut-off point.

It will be understood that the appended claims, where they refer to the sealing of the discharge outlet relative to the fan casing, are intended to cover either the packing seal just described or a metal to metal sealing relationship without packing.

vI claim as my invention:

1. In a vacuum cleaner, a fan casing including side walls and a peripheral wall cut away for a portion' of its circumference, said casing having an inlet; a handle, a discharge nozzle, a closure Wall and scroll wall secured together as a rigid unit which is rotatably mounted oursaid casing, said closure wall being rotatably slidable in engagement with said peripheral wall and extending across the space where said peripheral wall is cut away and forming a continuation of said peripheral wall, an impeller vmounted within the fan easing inside the spacedened by said scroll wall, the latter serving to direct the discharge from said impeller into said discharge outlet, and a bag supported beneath said handle and flxedly associated with said discharge nozzle.

2. In a vacuum cleaner'a'fan casing including side walls and a peripheral wall cut away for a portion of its circumference said casing having an inlet; a handle, discharge nozzle and closure wall secured together as a rigid unit which is rotatably mounted on said fan casing so that said closure Wall forms a continuation of the peripheral wall across the space thereof which is cut) away, and a bag supported beneath said handle and fxedly associated with said discharge nozzle. 3. In a vacuum cleaner, a fan casing comprising side walls and a peripheral wall which is cut away for a portion of its circumference said casing having an' inlet; a handle, discharge nozzle, partition'wall, closure wall and scroll wall all secured together in a rigid unit, said closure wall forming a continuation of said peripheral wall and slidably rotatable in engagement therewith, said scroll wall forming ytogether with said partition wall and the side walls of the casing a pair of fan chambers, a pair of fan impellers rotatable in said chambers, and a bag supported beneath said handle and flxedly associated with said discharge nozzle.

4. In avacuum cleaner, a fan casing including side walls, said casing having an inlet; a handle. discharge nozzle, andscroll wall secured together as a rigid unit which is mounted for oscillation around the axis of the fan casing, the side edges of said scroll Wall meeting the inner surfaces of saidsidewalls so as to form a fan chamber, a fan impeller mounted in said chamber for rotation on the aforesaid axis of the fan casing, and a bag supported beneath said handle and flxedly associated with said discharge nozzle.

5. In a vacuum cleaner, a fan casing including side walls and a cylindrical peripheral wall which is cut away for a portion of its circumference, said casing having an inlet, a fan shaft disposed 'concentric with said peripheral wall, a fan impeller mounted thereon; a handle, discharge nozzle and scroll wall secured together as a rigid unit which is mounted for oscillation around the aforesaid axis, the side edges of said scroll wall meeting the inner surfaces -of said side walls so as to form a chamber in which said impeller revolves, and a bag supported beneath said handle and xedly associated with said discharge nozzle. f

l 6. In a vacuum cleaner, a fan casing including side walls and a peripheral wall said casing having an inlet; a handle and discharge nozzle secured together as a rigid unit which is mounted for oscillation aroundrthe axis of the fan casing, said discharge nozzle having a slidable connection with 

